In order to control the temperature of a vehicle interior of a motor vehicle or of another component, for example an electrical energy store, waste engine heat is used for heating and a refrigerant circuit is used for cooling. The refrigerant circuit has a compression refrigeration machine having a compressor, which is generally driven either directly and mechanically by an internal combustion engine (generally a diesel or petrol engine) or indirectly, for example by means of an electric motor. Independently of the driving method, however, only the mechanical energy component of the internal combustion engine supplies the compressor of the compression refrigeration machine with drive energy. Depending on the efficiency of the internal combustion engine, around two thirds of the energy contained in the fuel are discharged unused in the form of heat. This means that the energy consumption for air-conditioning the motor vehicle depending on the efficiency is firstly expensive and secondly associated with additional environmental pollution, for example by means of increased CO2 emissions. CO2 emissions are in particular a ubiquitous theme for discussion at present.
DE 10 2004 053 436 A1 discloses an adsorption heat pump for air-conditioning a motor vehicle, having a first adsorber chamber, which is connected via a first connection element to a condenser and via a second connection element to an evaporator. The adsorption heat pump also has a second adsorption chamber, which is connected via a third connection element to the condenser and via a fourth connection element to the evaporator, the evaporator and the condenser being arranged between the first adsorber chamber and the second adsorber chamber and being connected to a pressure-reducing connection element by means of a condensate recirculation line. The adsorber chambers, the condenser and the evaporator are surrounded by a vacuum shell, which is not unsupported. This is intended to provide an adsorption heat pump that has a compact design.
DE 10 2010 002 018 A1 discloses a heating system for an electrically driven motor vehicle, comprising an electrical drive component, an electrical energy store, a coolant circuit with a circulating coolant for absorbing waste heat from the drive component, and a first heat exchanger for exchanging heat between the coolant circuit and the ambient air. A thermoelectric heat pump member is coupled via a second heat exchanger to the coolant circuit in order to transport heat between the coolant circuit and a passenger region, a further thermoelectric heat pump member being coupled to the first heat exchanger in order to transport heat between the coolant circuit and the ambient air. This is intended to create a heating system for an electrically driven motor vehicle that allows the most economical operation possible.